Cunningham Reviews

A staggering amount of diversity is on display in a whirlwind tour of New Jersey's 21 counties, divided up here into 3 geographical areas: the mountain region, cental hill and valley, and coastal plain (South Jersey). The 1994 4th edition of "This is New Jersey" crushes the one-sided "Which Exit?" mentality about New Jersey with a rich heritage from Revolutionary to Civil War eras as well as Native American. There are plenty of black and white photos and a short color section in the middle. It may not be worthy of the nickname 'Garden State' for the most part these days, but it deserves alot better than its Jersey Turnpike reputation. This book gives a lot of reasons why.

This work is an attempt to understand Merton against the background of his contemplative experience as a Trappist monk. For this is how Merton understood himself. Moving beyond Merton's autobiography (The Seven Storey Mountain), Cunningham enables one to see the motivations and struggles that pulled Merton toward the monastic life. He provides helpful insights into Merton's spiritual/intellectual formation, helping one to see the perspective from which he was able to have such keen insights into human life. Highly recommended.

I got what I expected with this double novel--a lot of good laughs at the expense of the outdated racist, sexist and homophobic ideas contained within. The prose contains some true "gems" of bad literature; for example:

"Her photographic memory seemed out of focus or overexposed."

"Mark turned, oriented himself (grinning as he thought about using that term in Japan)..."

If you take this book at face value I would guess you would hate it. If you treat it as inadvertent self-satire, you'll never stop laughing. I know I didn't.

This is a great book! It describes how herbs work, and what herbs are used for different things, and even a few pratical uses. I would recommend this book for anyone getting into herbs, its a great, inexpensive, book.

from book's cover: Dr. Robert Cunningham is not keen on having to baby-sit the new junior doctor in Emergency. One look at Hannah Blake---young, enthusiasic, far too attractive!--and Robert doubts she'll survive in his hectic department for long...Hannah knows she can prove her value to the team at St. Stephens, but her relationship with Dr. C could be her undoing. He might accept her as a colleague, even as a lover---but will he ever see her as a wife?

In this incredible book, Loren Cunningham challenges and inspires, offering powerful real-life examples that illustrate the power of completely relying on God, and how we will come out on top by doing so. The key is that the "top" is God's top which is much better than our often selfish estimate of success. I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants more than the normal, boring, mundane Christian life. Walking daily with Jesus is exciting and challenging. This book will help you to maximise the excitement and boldly face the challenges. I highly recommend it.

Scott Cunningham, in his time, turned out quite a few books and references for the modern, 'practical' witch. Though many of the herbs listed seem arcane- when I bought this book it was the first time I had heard of herbs like eryngo and life-everlasting- this reference is well done.
The herbs are organized alphabetically, and black and white drawings of the plant or flower are to the side of each entry, which typically includes the scientific (Latin) name, health codes (such as G for safe, and a guide is included in the book for all of the codes), any folk names, its attributed gender, planet, element, and deities, followed by brief (or sometimes long) descriptions of ritual and magical uses.
After the listings of herbs, there are lists of categories, under which are listed what herbs fit that area- such as masculine plants, herbs that correspond to certain ritual intentions, and elementary rulers. Also included are an index, a glossary, and a mail order list for those who do not have an herb store nearby (and it's hard to find something like mandrake in your local grocery store!).
Granted, this book is not the be-all and end-all of herbal studies. I recommend finding yourself at least three good sources and using them together when using herbs.

If there is one book to have on herbalism, this is the book to have. Not only is the book one that is destined to stay off your shelf and on your altar, but it is the absolute best herbal reference out there. Scott Cunningham does a beautiful job with popular and folk lore on hundreds of herbs, going past "traditional" one or two word associations and really getting into herbal lore within his descriptions. The herbal cross reference toward the end is extremely useful for anyone who is using spells and recipies from outer sources... you never realise how many folk names exist for a single herb! The book is well organized, in depth, and easy to follow. A MUST HAVE for any aspiring herbalist.

He does a great job of not just telling you what the herb does but gives you different information about it as well. Great book to have for reference!

Scott Cunningham was one of the most creative, prolific,and matter of fact of the Wiccan writers of his time..He wrote authoritatively and to the point. He helped to take the negative stigma out of "Solitary Practice".He left us a wealth of information, a joy of the craft,the wonder of magick,in his legacy of books & encyclopedias when he passed onto Summerland.We thank him for his gifts of knowledge! This book is a must for those seeking the solitary path and for the seasoned witch and beginning Coven member,as well. It is an easy comprehensive read which fully explains the bones of the Wiccan Path,specifically: various "Traditions",the Moon phases(and meanings),Sabbats,Esbats,Ritual and a list of tools.He also gives you the complete "Wiccan Rede","The Law of the Power", and touches upon Ethics and gives you an easy to follow Book Of Shadows outline. PLease read all of Cunningham"s books.They are a must for the "Earth Based Library"! Brightest Blessings!

This is an essential book to anybody who is a beginner to wicca (or any notions involving witchcraft), and serves as a plain language FAQ to give a VERY broad overview of the Craft, and to dispel the wealth of misconceptions and misinformation surrounding it. Both theoretically speaking and "mechanically" speaking, this book provides a great general foundation. Its brief introduction to tools, symbols, rituals, various foods, and widely accepted principals, make up a good bare bones familiarity with the basics involved in the Craft. The questions presented within force the reader to be honest with himself about his true motivations for his interest in the Craft, and may help to either weaken or solidify his interest, so for those not sure about whether or not this path is for them, this is a valuable read. Another great thing about it is that it stresses the importance of doing what's right for you and drawing your own conclusions about what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior in this path. This is extremely important to remember, and lends more credibility to Cunningham, who takes neither an authoritative nor arrogant approach to his teachings about the Craft, unlike many of his co-authors on the subject.

I have heard many more experienced practitioners dismiss this work as facile and unsophisticated, and in one respect, this is justified. One already familiar with wicca who wishes to gain insights into practicing by himself will likely not benefit from reading this book, despite the fact that it asserts to give insight into solitary practice. It would have been much better named to clarify that it was meant for the self-starter and solitary beginner rather than an already-established practitioner learning to enhance his practice as a solitary. Contrarily, I have seen many who assert themselves to possess a certain level of knowledge and experience they do not have because they haven't taken the time to learn the basics, even if some of it seemed mundane or boring at times. All ritual and spellwork should be taken very seriously, and the serious student should be more than willing to start at the beginning to gain as much knowledge and as many perspectives as possible.

When this book first came out in 1988 it filled a real need- it still does. Once upon a time would-be Wiccans were told, "Only a witch can make a witch." Cunningham cut through all of that (and took a lot of flak for doing so.) He emphasized that Wicca, like all true religions worthy of the name, are between the practitioner and the Deity- with no need of a high priestess or priest as a "gate keeper." You see, Cunningham was among the first to see the connection between Wicca and Shamanism (the first and most individualistic of spiritual paths), as he points out in the very first chapter.

You will find everything here that you need for effective natural spiritual practice, for make no mistake- that is what true Wicca is. The first section of the book is largely informative and theoretical. The Deities are covered, both Goddess and God, in their various historical variations. The nature of magic as the projection of natural energies is then examined. Following this, the various magical tools as symbolic foci for concentration are covered (from Atheme to wand.) Next, the importance of music, dance, and gesture in establishing ritual consciousness is dealt with. Following is the significance of ritual and preparation for ritual (if you are not centered in the proper frame of mind, then all the ritual in the world is not going to do you any good.) The importance of setting up a ritual space, the magic circle and altar, and its meaning and symbolism is explained. Then comes a discussion of the Sabbats and the natural cycle of seasons and their respective energies and lessons. This discussion of natural cycles leads naturally to an examination of the spiral of rebirth (reincarnation.) Finally, the question of initiation is discussed (true initiation is not performed by one human upon another.)

The second section moves on to practice, as opposed to strictly intellectual study. Here you learn the sound basics of actual magical techniques (breathing, meditation, visualization, and channeling energy.) Next comes self-dedication (very similar to right-mindfulness in the Buddhist path.) Finally comes all the steps to ritual design (purification of self, of space, creating sacred space, invocation, ritual observance, energy raising, earthing the power, thanking the Gods, and breaking the circle.) No matter what spiritual path that you may later choose to follow, these are foundations that will carry over and serve you well.

Finally, in the third section, is a complete Book of Shadows (a highly personal individual book of rituals, spells, and magical lore) that you may use as is, or use as a model upon which to pattern your own.

In the back you have a full glossary of all the specialized terms used in the text. There is also an excellent bibliography of books for further specialized study, as well as, a full index. The two appendixes of occult suppliers and publications may be a bit out of date.

This is one book I could never do without! There are so many recipes for all variety of spells, charms and empowerments, not to mention info on how to make natural soaps! Many of the oil mixtures make fantastic perfumes- I love the Sweet Pea Bouquet.

The chapter on substitutions is an invaluable resource in itself- I think a lot of books on magick put too much emphasis on ingredients rather than the actual process and intent, this book, like Cunningham's folk magick series, advocate that we should always remember power comes from within- very important!!! Like all Cunningham books, this one includes a basic intro to magick which is always worth re-reading to reinforce that we are the main ingredient in magick!

While this book is great for ideas and recipe creation advice, I'm a great advocate of witches writing their own spells and magick, and this book can be a means of discouraging this which is the only qualm I have in recommending it. Keeping that in mind, Cunningham's 'Incense, Oils and Brews' is an invaluable reference for any witch, pagan, wiccan or even new ager! I couldn't live without this book in my collection!!!

This is one of my favorite books by Scott Cunningham. He explores so many different methods of magickal creation that there is something for everyone and more. If you want to learn more about making your own incense, brews, potions, powders, inks, soaps, tinctures, oils, herbal baths,etc., YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK. Each section is informative and full of recipies, explanations, suggestions, and warnings. The chapter on substitution is excellent and the charts and appendixes are helpful as well. The book's tone is more instructional rather than spiritual, especially compared to Cunningham's other books. If you are looking for in-depth information about magical herbs and oils, I highly recommend reading Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs and The Magic of Aromatherapy in addition to The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews.

I have a few of his books and they are just wonderful. This one is expecially good with an extensive amount of recipes for all occasions. As your path grows this book and it's content definitely are a good source. Makes a great guide and resource. Makes a great gift if you know someone who is commencing, or anyone since it is a great tool. :) Blessed Be.

It's just regurgitating what it said from the first book. Who cares?

Cunningham was such a great author and it's apparent that he loved and had a deep understanding of the craft. All his books are lucid and inspirational, and this one was no exception. This book is a wonderful companion to Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. He has wonderful ideas on how to incorporate wicca into your everyday life. I am always on the lookout for new books on wicca and witchcraft, but in my opinion, Cunningham's books are the best.

Get this book and be inspired.

........if you enjoyed Cunningham's "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner", you'll love "Living Wicca", a guide for solitaries which further brings Wicca into our everyday lives and experience.

Cunningham further delves into the topics of learning (tools, secrecy, self-initiation, Mysteries, and everyday Wiccan spirituality) and practicing (prayers and chants, offerings, rites, magic, deities) Wicca and to establishing your own traditions (from ritual design, to the Book of Shadows, adopting beliefs and rules). This book, like the first, is really for beginners like myself and reflects the "newer" Wicca and not the Old Ways or any particular modern Wiccan path. This allows the solitary practitioner to be more eclectic while still holding onto basic Wiccan traditions, albeit not strictly.

I particularly enjoyed Cunningham's ideas for bringing Wicca into my daily life.........those long stretches that occur between the esbats and sabbats. His ideas for daily prayers make Wiccan expression a regular, daily experience. I also like his practical ideas for enhancing spirituality: gardening, volunteering time, meditating, etc. Cunningham shows us how to add to our rituals with our own ideas that are meaningful to us, making Wicca a more personal experience. He also shows us how to better write our Book of Shadows, by adding in basic beliefs and rules as well as our own rituals and magic.

This book is also one that I can see drawing beginners into Wicca, helping them love their new religion (as has happened to me) and thus compelling them to delve much further into it, be it by exploring more about more modernized versions of Wicca, by seeking out the Old Ways and our origins, by searching for a coven and a teacher or all of the above. I highly recommend this book to eager beginners who are just learning about Wicca and just starting to practice.